2010 Connecticut News Articles

[fyrftrjim]

Tigers: Manager adjusting to new field, team

Posted Jun 17, 2010 @ 11:46 PM
NORWICH — Asking Connecticut Tigers manager Howard Bushong what his team’s strengths are is unfair.

He’s seen some of his players before, even managed a few, but Bushong needed one look at his team’s new home after it relocated from Oneonta, N.Y., to determine what isn’t going to fly at spacious Dodd Stadium.

“You’re not going to play a power game in this park anyway,” he said. “That ain’t going to

happen. It probably didn’t happen a whole lot with Double-A guys. It sure isn’t going to happen with New York-Penn League guys.”

Playing in the short-season Single-A league will provide the biggest challenge any of the Tigers have seen up to this point in their careers.

“You’re not playing against the best kids in the country,” Bushong said. “You’re playing against the best world-wide.”

The Detroit Tigers affiliate will begin their inaugural season in Connecticut tonight when they travel to Troy, N.Y., to face Tri-City (7 p.m., WICH 1310 AM).

With a big home park, the Tigers will use speedy defense in the outfield from Jeff Rowland, P.J. Polk and Chao-Ting Tang, and hope speed can be used as an offensive weapon.

Polk’s 25 stolen bases at the University of Tennessee were third-best in the Southeastern Conference, while Rowland swiped 56 bases over three years at Georgia Tech.

“I feel like I have plus-speed,” Polk said. “I just want to get on base and wreck havoc on the bases and score some runs.”

The most likely source of power in the lineup will be first baseman James Robbins. Last year with the Tigers’ Gulf Coast League team, he hit .361 with two homers and seven RBIs in nine games. At 19, there’s ample time for him to grow into a bona fide slugger.

Robbins’ bat and solid defense led Baseball America to name him the Detroit Tigers’ 29th-best prospect after last season.

“This is going to be a nice challenge for him; this is a good league,” Bushong said. “Boy, you grow up in a hurry or you get eaten up. He’s a good player.”

The middle of the infield will be manned by Alexander Nunez and Bristol native Brett Anderson at second and shortstop, respectively. Anderson played third in the past but was listed originally as an outfielder. Detroit moved him to where he will play in 2010 during his instructional league days.

Third base will likely be manned by former Holy Cross standout Matt Perry, who was a 41st round pick by Detroit earlier this month.

Behind the plate will be Tyson Kendrick, the first player ever drafted from Tabor College in Kansas. In two years at the NAIA school, Kendrick drove in 95 runs in 105 games.

The rotation starts with Clemente Mendoza. Last year at Oneonta, Mendoza went 5-5 in 16 games, 11 of them starts. He had a 3.19 ERA over 73 1/3 innings and struck out 50. He has a fastball in the low 90s, which is complimented by a two-seam fastball, curveball and changeup.

“I want to have a great year, better than last year and (hopefully) keep going on,” he said.

Following Mendoza in the rotation will be righty Luis Sanz, southpaw Rayni Guichardo, right-hander Josue Carreno and lefty Lance Baxter.


Tigers: Manager adjusting to new field, team - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

[fyrftrjim]

Tigers: In-state player glad to be closer to home



Pho Purchase this Photo Khoi Ton/NorwichBulletin.com.Khoi Ton/Norwich Bulletin From right, the Tigers’ Brett Anderson, from Bristol, and Massachusetts natives Matt Perry and Ryan Soares photographed Wednesday during media day at Dodd Stadium in Norwich. Connecticut starts its inaugural season tonight against Tri-City in Troy, N.Y.

Posted Jun 17, 2010 @ 11:39 PM
NORWICH — It’s a whole new world for young players such as Brett Anderson.

The teenager will be the Connecticut Tigers’ starting shortstop in their season and New York-Penn League opener tonight in Troy, N.Y., against the Tri-City ValleyCats. He looked out at the left field wall at Dodd Stadium during the Detroit Tigers Single-A affiliate’s media day Wednesday.

“They say it’s a graveyard out here,” Anderson, 19, said after hearing about how the ball seemingly dies in the outfield from two of his friends and fellow Connecticut natives, UConn’s Mike Olt and George Springer.

Olt and Springer played for the Huskies in the NCAA baseball tournament Norwich Regional at Dodd just a couple of weeks ago.

But Anderson will appreciate this graveyard after spending the last two seasons in Lakeland, Fla., with Detroit’s Gulf Coast League affiliate.

Anderson was sitting in the first row of seats alongside the first-base line at Dodd when he took his first look at the stadium.

“This is a lot different from the back fields at Lakeland,” Anderson said, swiveling his head to survey the 5,000-plus seats. “There were no stands there, nothing.”

Not to mention the heat and humidity on 95-degree days that “felt like 110.”

Anderson arrived at Dodd Stadium on Wednesday to “beautiful” weather: 70 degrees, overcast, and sprinkling.

The Bristol native is one of three New England products on the inaugural Tigers roster, along with Matt Perry from Sudbury, Mass., and Ryan Soares from Harwich, Mass.

Anderson’s story is a bit different than that of Perry and Soares, two college graduates. Anderson chose to take the direct route from Bristol Eastern High School to the pros, forgoing a chance to play for Division-II power Franklin Pierce in the process.

“It was a tough decision to make, going pro instead of going to college. But after the first two years in pro ball, it’s obviously been the right decision,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s career got off to a slow start. He hit .178 in 39 games during his first year with Lakeland and increased that to .216 in 30 games last season with five total extra-base hits in his brief pro career.

There is an upside, however. Anderson hasn’t yet hit his 20th birthday.

“There was a lot of great instruction (in Lakeland). All the instructors are really good and I feel like I’m in a good position. I’m still young and ready to go,” Anderson said.

What’s even better, he’s ready to go in front of his family and friends.

Anderson was bragging to his newfound friends, Soares and Perry, that he expected 50-100 Anderson supporters to be in attendance next Friday night when the Tigers play their first home game at Dodd Stadium against the Vermont Lake Monsters.

“It’s fantastic. Everybody loves having the situation of being close to family because you have the support system there,” Connecticut manager Howard Bushong said.

“That support is so important because you’re going to have down days. You’re going to have some tough times along the way and I think it’s going to be really good for (Anderson) because he’s been down in Florida for the last two years, been a long way from home, and hopefully, he will have some fans and it will energize him a little bit,” Bushong said.

Life has never been so hectic for Perry. The Tigers drafted the third baseman in the 41st round (1,243 overall) last week.

“I was just hoping for a chance,” said Perry, a third-generation pro player. “I’m coming from Holy Cross (where he had a .332 batting average with 52 doubles, 14 homers and 100 RBIs), not a lot of precedent there recently with draft picks, and it takes a lot for a scout to put himself on the line and push for a Holy Cross kid.”

From there, he has had a “couple of crazy days.”

“It really has been a whirlwind,” Perry said. “We were shipped down to Florida (last Thursday) for a physical and blood work, had a couple of workouts, and the next thing I know, we’re driving back to Connecticut.”

That’s right, Perry drove back from Florida after flying down the week before.

“I drove back from Florida with my roommate from down there just to keep him company because it’s a very long ride, but I’m thrilled to be back up here and now I think things are going to slow down a little bit as we get into a routine,” Perry said.

Slowing down is one thing Perry probably shouldn’t expect. He’s coming from a college system where players have a workout one day, travel the next and play the next to a routine where they do all three on the same day in some cases.

That’s not the only big adjustment, according to Bushong.

“Some will make the adjustment to (the wooden bat) without any problems and some are going to big time struggle,” Bushong said. “That’s the biggest adjustment, and then there’s the speed of the game, this goes a whole lot quicker than college, where they can take four hours to play. We play the game here in about two hours, 15 minutes to two and a half hours. We give a sign and we go.”

The wooden bat shouldn’t be a huge change for Perry, who has played in wooden bat leagues for the last three summers, including a stint last year with the Chatham Athletics of the Cape Cod League under the direction of Plainfield High School coach John Schiffner.

“I haven’t talked to Schiff since the draft happened, but I’m thankful that he gave me the opportunity to play on his team and I had a great summer down there,” Perry said. “I think that prepared me for playing with wood bats and facing top-of-the-line pitching.”

Soares was a little disappointed last week when he had to wait until the 36th round (1,063 pick) before the Tigers finally chose him.

“I went later than I thought I would, I had a pretty good year at (George) Mason (University),” Soares said.

Soares hit .438 with 13 homers and 71 RBIs while playing shortstop for the Patriots this past season, numbers good enough to earn him the Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Year award. He was also a semifinalist for the Wallace Award, given each year to the top college shortstop.

Now, he’s back doing what everybody else is doing, trying to find his way through the system and trying to get his name on the back of a jersey, battling possibly a friend in the hunt for a job.

“It’s a business, but as you go, you have to make friendships and be there for each other,” Soares said. “These bonds will probably stick with us for the rest of our lives, but we all know it’s a business and we’re all trying to reach the same goal.”

Copyright 2010 Norwich Bulletin. Some rights reserved

[Microline133]

My season preview will be up at TigsTown this afternoon....

[fyrftrjim]

Minor League Baseball: Tigers edged out in inaugural season opener

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Posted Jun 18, 2010 @ 11:45 PM
TROY, N.Y. — With the move complete and the roster set, it was finally time for the Connecticut Tigers’ debut.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the Tri-City ValleyCats proved to be rude hosts.

After 44 years in Oneonta, N.Y., the Tigers, now based in Norwich, opened their inaugural season with a 4-3 loss to the ValleyCats on Friday night in both teams’ New York-Penn League opener at Joe Bruno Stadium.

Oscar Figueroa’s drive down the left field line off Tiger reliever Michael Torrealba (0-1) with one out in the bottom of the ninth scored Enrique Hernandez to give the home team the win.

Hernandez had sent a single to left and moved to second on Wilton Infante’s sacrifice bunt.

“All of them are a tough way to lose, but I thought the kids played hard,” Howard Bushong, manager of Detroit Tigers affiliate Connecticut, said. “Too many strikeouts, but pitching was good. For some of these rookie guys, they need to get games under their belt.”

Tiger hitters combined to strike out 14 times against five Tri-City pitchers.

Designated hitter Ryan Enos paced the Tiger offense with two doubles, and drove in two runs.

Enos staked the Tigers to an early 2-1 lead in the second inning when he sliced a ball down the left field line, past the outstretched glove of Tri-City left fielder Adam Bailey, scoring James Robbins and Brett Anderson.

Tiger starter Clemente Mendoza scattered eight hits in six innings with three strikeouts and a walk.

The 19-year-old worked out of jams in the third and sixth innings, and left the game with the score tied at 3 against the ValleyCats, a Houston Astros affiliate.

With the bases loaded and two out in the third, Mendoza got Hernandez to ground out to second and wriggled out of trouble in the sixth when Infante popped to third base with runners on first and second to end the inning.

Mendoza allowed a first-inning home run to ValleyCat right fielder Michael Kvasnicka, but kept the Tigers close with his 86-pitch effort.

“He did well, I’ve got no issues with his effort,” Bushong said. “He pitched well enough to win.”


Minor League Baseball: Tigers edged out in inaugural season opener - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

[fyrftrjim]

Tigers record first win in team history

Posted Jun 20, 2010 @ 05:58 AM
Last update Jun 20, 2010 @ 08:58 AM
TROY, N.Y. — The first win in the history of the Connecticut Tigers is in the books.

James Robbins paced the 12-hit Tiger attack with two hits and P.J. Polk homered to support a solid effort by starting pitcher Luis Sanz as the Tigers cruised to a 7-3 win over Tri-City in New York/Penn League action Saturday night at Joseph Bruno Stadium.

“I’m very pleased, the kids played well,” Tiger manager Howard Bushong said. “It’s good to get the first one out of the way.”

The opportunistic Tiger offense staked the team to the lead in the third inning.

With runners on first and second and one out, Polk’s gounder went through the legs of ValleyCat second basemen Ben Orloff and into right field, scoring Eric Roof and sending Jeff Rowland to third base.

After Polk stole second base, Robbins greeted Tri-Valley reliever Brenden Stines by lacing a two-out line drive into right field to give Connecticut a 3-1 lead.

“Robby stepped up and had a fantastic at bat with two outs,” Bushong said.

Polk homered with one out in the fifth inning to increase the Tigers' lead to 4-1.

“He’s capable, its just a matter of him getting playing time at this level. He can do some things,” Bushong said.

Rowland’s single scored Ryan Enos in the sixth inning and Alexander Nunez scored on Roof’s sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Sanz (1-0) wiggled out of trouble in the first inning before settling down and finding his rhythm.

The righthander walked three batters in the first inning and nearly escaped the jam.

With two-on and one out, Sanz induced Tyler Burnett to ground to first baseman Robbins, who spun and threw to second for a force out. Shortstop Brett Anderson’s throwing error allowed Oscar Figueroa to score the game’s first run.

Sanz (1-0) went five innings for the win, allowing two hits with four strikeouts, three walks and no earned runs.

Shawn Teufel, Matt Little and Kevin Hess went the rest of the way for Connecticut


Tigers record first win in team history - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

[fyrftrjim]

Tigers Notebook: Team coming together

Posted Jun 20, 2010 @ 09:02 AM
TROY, N.Y. — They might still need name tags to learn all the names, but camaraderie isn’t an issue with the Tigers.

The day after Friday night’s season-opening loss, many of the Tigers hung out together at the team’s hotel before coming to the Joseph Bruno Stadium for Saturday night’s contest with the Tri-City ValleyCats.

“The chemistry on this team is real good for just getting together,” shortstop Brett Anderson said. “There are no egos on the team. We’re just a bunch of blue collar kids ready to work. We’re on the bus and everyone is chatting up a storm.

While Anderson, the former standout at Bristol Eastern High, was hoping to get an assignment to the Western Michigan (Midwest League) affiliate in the Tigers chain, playing ball close to home is a good alternative.

“When I found out I was coming to Connecticut, it was unbelievable,” Anderson said. “With my family and friends, it’ll help make me more comfortable.”

One of 16 Tigers who donned a professional uniform for the first time Friday night, speedy P.J. Polk was happy to get his debut out of the way.

After striking out twice in his first three at bats, Polk had a chance to show off his speed with a bouncer over the third basemen’s head that Polk turned into a double.

“It was kind of a big relief, I was just happy to get that first hit,” Polk said. “I wasn’t nervous, but was too amped up. I settled down after the double. I’m just trying to get better.”

Polk is coming off a solid season at the University of Tennessee where the left fielder led the Volunteers with a .352 batting average and stole 25 bases.

Taking the hill
Lefty Rayni Guichardo will pitch today’s series finale for the Tigers, facing Murilo Gouvea.
Guichardo was 4-4 with a 1.73 ERA in 2009 for the GCL Tigers.


Tigers Notebook: Team coming together - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

[Lousluggage]

Thanks for the updates.

[fyrftrjim]

Tigers finish opening weekend with win

By SEAN MARTIN
sports@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jun 20, 2010 @ 10:25 PM
TROY, N.Y. — With the finale of the season-opening series on tap, Connecticut Tiger manager Howard Bushong decided to jumble his lineup and give a few players their first action of the season.

Bushong’s strategy worked as the Tigers completed the first series in franchise history on a winning note with a 5-3 win over Tri-City in a New York/Penn League game Sunday at Joseph Bruno Stadium.

Matt Mansilla homered and singled while Matt Perry banged out two of the Tigers' nine hits to support the masterful pitching of 18-year old southpaw Rayni Guichardo.

Guichardo (1-0) went seven innings, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. He was helped by his defense early as the infield turned inning-ending double plays in each of the first three innings.

“He is to be commended for the job he did — he was just outstanding,” Bushong said. “The defense played outstanding behind him. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the guys.”

The Tigers got off to a fast start.

Jeff Rowland singled to center on the first pitch of the game, and two batters later, the speedy centerfielder scored on James Robbins’ double to deep center.

The next hitter, Mansilla, drove the first pitch thrown to him this season over the left field wall to give Connecticut a 3-0 lead.

“We had an opportunity for a lot of guys that hadn’t played up to this point to play,” Bushong said. “They will be ready all the time. The chemistry here is outstanding. These kids get along well, and they believe it what they’re doing and what we’re doing.”

The Tigers added a run in the fourth when Perry scored on a wild pitch from ValleyCat starter and losing pitcher Murillo Gouvea (0-1).

In the fifth, Tigers rightfielder Chao-Ting Tang was caught off first base but was safe at second when Tri-City first baseman Tyler Burnett’s throw sailed high. The error allowed an alert Robbins to take home on the play to make the score 5-0.

With the runs on the board, Guichardo settled down in the middle innings, setting down the side in order in the fifth and sixth innings before losing his shutout bid in the seventh when Burnett scored on Buck Afenir’s groundout.

Guichardo was lifted after the seventh inning and was replaced by Logan Hoch, who pitched the eighth before giving way to Patrick Lawson for the ninth inning.

Lawson allowed two runs, one earned, but got pinch-hitter Nick Stanley to fly out to right to end the game.


Tigers finish opening weekend with win - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

[DontGotSheed]

Rayni Guichardo Minor League Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com

Some decent numbers from Guichardo...if he figures out how to keep the BB numbers down, he might be looking real good. He does have one big thing going for him though...he is only 18.

[Microline133]

More a pitchability than pure stuff lefty, he's intriguing, but not many thinks he's a serious prospect....

[DontGotSheed]

More a pitchability than pure stuff lefty, he's intriguing, but not many thinks he's a serious prospect....

Not many people think DSL or VSL graduates are (majority of the time). I always like to see them do well state-side though.

[Microline133]

I'm not sure I'd agree with that position....I think you'd find a fair sample of ardent Tiger fans -- meaning those that actually follow the minor leagues -- that think highly of players like Mercedes, Garcia, Martinez, Azcona, Machado, Moya, Lebron, etc.....

Guichardo is simply a pretty middling prospect at this juncture, few see much projection with his stuff, despite his youth....and that leaves most rather un-excited about him....

[DontGotSheed]

I guess Gustavo is another graduate.

But how many of those guys will be considered a Top Prospect when they get to Erie?

[fyrftrjim]

Five-run frame dooms Connecticut

sports@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jun 21, 2010 @ 10:41 PM
Connecticut starting pitcher Josue Carreno allowed five runs — all in the fourth inning — and the Tigers fell to the host Lake Monsters, 5-3, on Monday in Burlington, Vt.

The Tigers entered the bottom of the fourth with a 3-0 lead, but found themselves the victims of horrific turn of events. Stephen King led off with a double to center, and Wade Moore walked. Jason Martinson had a sacrifice bunt, but Carreno misplayed the ball, allowing Martinson to reach safely and load the bases.

Carreno then walked in two runs with back-to-back free passes to Rick Hughes and Jack Walker. A one-out RBI single by Blake Walker ended the Tigers pitcher’s game.

Michael Torrealba came in and issued a wild pitch that allowed Hughes to score. Chad Mozingo’s sac fly rounded out the scoring.

The Tigers (2-2) got on the board first with a second-inning blast by Matt Mansilla. It was Mansilla’s second home run in as many games.

In the top half of the fourth, Connecticut’s Alexander Nunez reached on a throwing error at short by Martinson. Then with one out, King’s error at third allowed Nunez to score and James Robbins to reach third. Josh Ashenbrenner doubled home Robbins with two out.

Copyright 2010 Norwich Bulletin. Some rights reserved

Five-run frame dooms Connecticut - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

[DontGotSheed]

Mansilla matched his HR total of 2009 in just two games.

A guy to watch Mark? I have to admit, I knew nothing about Mansilla until I looked him up yesterday.

[Microline133]

No, he's not a guy to watch.

[fyrftrjim]

Tigers lose to Lowell, drop third game in a row

By Staff reports
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Jun 23, 2010 @ 11:08 PM
When asked last week at Media Day in Norwich whom he fears most in the New York-Penn. League, Connecticut Tigers manager Howard Bushong immediately pointed to the Lowell (Mass.) Spinners.

The short-season Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox didn’t disappoint the Connecticut manager as they handed the Tigers a 6-1 loss in the first meeting of the two this season at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass.

The loss was the third in a row for the Tigers and fourth in six games overall. The Tigers still have two more games at Lowell today and Friday before playing their inaugural home game at Dodd Stadium on Saturday night.

Connecticut started well against the Spinners as Jeff Rowland, who had three of the Tigers’ five hits, doubled to right.

A wild pitch moved Rowland over to third and Matt Mansilla knocked him home with a sacrifice fly.

Lowell (3-3) tied the game in the bottom of the second on a Brandon Jacobs single and a triple by Miles Head off Connecticut starter Clemente Mendoza (0-1).

The Spinners took the lead for good in the fourth on consecutive doubles by Jacobs and Head.

Tigers moves

Connecticut received a pair of players and sent two others out. Catcher Julio Rodriguez joined the team from the Tigers’ Low-A affiliate in Western Michigan and also learned that pitcher Robbie Weinhardt will join the team on a rehab assignment from Triple-A Toledo.

Connecticut sent infielder Carmello Jaime to High-A Lakeland and assigned pitcher Dan Gentzler to the Gulf Coast Rookie League.

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/sport...-game-in-a-row

[fyrftrjim]

Big bats lead Tigers in laugher

By Staff reports
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Jun 24, 2010 @ 11:11 PM
Connecticut scored early and often, pounding Lowell, 13-1, on Thursday night in Lowell, Mass. It was more than enough run support for Luis Sanz, who along with three relievers, frustrated the Spinners’ lineup all night.

Sanz improved to 2-0 with an ERA of 0.90. He allowed six hits and three walks over five innings while striking out five. Tigers pitchers tallied 10 Ks on the night.

The Tigers scored a pair of runs in the second and third innings with the help of the Spinners’ defense.

Two runs scored in the second, Julio Rodriguez came home on Ryan Enos’ double play. Matthew Mansilla walked, stole second and scored on Chao-Ting Tang’s single to right.

Jeff Rowland opened the third with a single, a stolen base and advanced on a grounder to second. Josh Ashenbrenner’s sac fly brought home Rowland.

The next batter, James Robbins reached on a one-out throwing error at short and scored when Rodriguez (3-for-5, 2 runs) doubled to left.

That would be plenty for Connecticut, which also picked up a fourth-inning grand slam from Alexander Nunez.


Big bats lead Tigers in laugher - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

[fyrftrjim]

Tigers: Connecticut finishes road trip with win

By MARC ALLARD
mallard@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jun 25, 2010 @ 11:37 PM
LOWELL, Mass. — The Connecticut Tigers learned another valuable lesson Friday night; there’s nine innings in a game.

On the eve of their home opener, the Tigers could have easily called it a night after Lowell scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning, but Howard Bushong’s club displayed some resilience and rallied for an 8-7 win at LeLacheur Field.

“They never quit,” Bushong said twice to emphasize what his team had accomplished. “They kind of got down after the first inning, but they came back and had some great at-bats.”

Trailing 7-5 going into the ninth inning, the Tigers were down to their last strike before Ryan Enos (2-5, five RBIs) continued his role as hero.

Matt Mansilla drew a lead off walk to open the ninth against Lowell lefty Armando Zerpa. Ninth batter Londell Tyler singled and a well-placed sacrifice bunt by Jeff Rowland moved the runners up. Alexander Nunenz made it a one run game with a single to center. Josh Ashenbrenner worked Zerpa for a walk to load the bases, but the lefty struck out Matt Perry and had Enos down on an 0-2 count. After the next pitch failed to find Enos chasing, Zerpa came in and Enos golfed one over the head of Lowell shortstop Jose Garcia to score the game-winning runs.

“There were two strikes and I was just trying to be relaxed and see the ball,” Enos said. “He gave me a good one to hit, I didn’t hit it great, but God’s good and praise His hand for that because I didn’t hit it well.”

The Tigers (4-4) picked up where they left off on Thursday night when they scored a 12-1 win over Lowell, by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning on four consecutive singles by Rowland, Nunez, Josh Ashenbrenner, and Perry.

That’s when the adversity set in.

Rayni Guichardo was coming off a sparkling performance against Tri-City just five days before, but couldn’t repeat the seven inning, four hit, one run performance that he put together in Albany.

In fact, the 18-year-old southpaw couldn’t even get out of the first inning against the Spinners (3-5).

Felix Sanchez drew a leadoff walk and Garcia executed the hit-and-run to perfection, slapping a ball through the five-six hole. The single moved Sanchez to third. Guichardo then walked Kolbrin Vitek to load the bases and rightfielder Bryce Brentz used an 11-pitch at-bat to draw another walk and force Sanchez home.

Guichardo’s troubles continued when Brandon Jacobs had a solid RBI single to left. Miles Head ended Guichardo’s day when he sent a ball over the head of Jeff Rowland in center for a three-run triple.

David Renfro completed Guichardo’s line — six earned runs, three hits and three walks without getting an out — when he singled home Head to give Lowell the four-run lead.

But Connecticut refused to pack it in as it rallied with two runs in the third inning.

Perry led off with his second straight opposite field single to left and Enos brought him home as he took a Tyler Wilson pitch some 340-feet to right field for a two-run homer. It was the first career dinger for the Dallas Baptist University graduate.

“It’s kind of surreal, you dream of it for a long time, so it feels awesome to get it,” Enos said of his first pro-ball homer. “I knew it was gone when I hit it, but I was still running like a madman.”

The Tigers closed within one on an Ashenbrenner single, a Perry double (3-for-5 on the night, 5-for-11 on the season) and an Enos ground out.

While Guichardo’s performance may not have brought a smile to Bushong’s face, the Connecticut manager could take some solace in the performance of his bullpen. Brennan Smith, Michael Torrealba, Kevan Hess, Robbie Weinhardt (1-0) and Matt Little (first save) combined to pitch nine innings of five hit ball, giving up just one run, with six strikeouts and two walks.

“Our relief pitching was absolutely fantastic. They’re to be commended,” Bushong said. “They’re the ones who gave us a chance. They pitched their tails off all night long. I couldn’t have been more proud of them.”

Notes

The public address announcer for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Carl Beane, announced the third inning of the game. Beane visits LaLacheur Park two or three times a season...Matt Perry had some supporters among the fans in Lowell. That’s not a surprise, Perry played his college ball at Holy Cross in Worcester and grew up in Sudbury, Mass. about 26 miles south of Lowell...The fan favorite for between inning entertainment was “Jumping Jack, the Frisbee dog”...Connecticut general manager Andrew Webber said Friday night that a little over 2,000 tickets have been sold for tonight’s home opener at Dodd Stadium...P.J. Polk, bothered with a sore hamstring since the third game of the season, could play for the Tigers tonight. Polk has three hits in 10 trips this season and one of the five Connecticut homers


Tigers: Connecticut finishes road trip with win - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

[fyrftrjim]

...Connecticut Tigers fans embrace their new home team

By JAMES MOSHER
Norwich Bulletin

Posted Jun 26, 2010 @ 11:19 PM
Last update Jun 27, 2010 @ 01:59 AM
Norwich, Conn. — "Cowboy Up!” was a rallying cry for the Boston Red Sox and their fans earlier this decade. Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom is asking the city and surrounding towns to “Kitty Up!” for the Connecticut Tigers.

“I am calling on everyone in Eastern Connecticut, and especially in Norwich, to support this team,” Nystrom said shortly before the Tigers took to the field Saturday to win their home opener 7-1 at Dodd Stadium. “It needs to be a partnership. Everyone needs to step up.”

Fans were glad to have a team playing in Norwich, even if they haven’t yet formed a close relationship with the Tigers. Having the stadium vacant, even for just one year, after the Connecticut Defenders’ move to Virginia would have be disastrous, the mayor said.

The home opener attracted a crowd of 3,120.

“It is a tradition for us to come to opening day,” said Dick Dicapua, a former Norwich resident who lives in Woodstock. “We’re happy to be continuing the tradition with the Tigers.”

Dicapua bought 21 tickets to the home opener against the Vermont Lake Monsters. A family patriarch with baseball interest going back to the New York Giants of the 1950s, Dicapua had three generations of his family at Saturday night’s game.

Some relatives weren’t as enthusiastic about the new team or the sport in general.

“I just do it for grandpa,” said Olivia Peasley, of Plainfield. Her brothers, Chris and Connor, both baseball players themselves, like the new team, though.

“It felt sad (after the Defenders left) until I heard the Tigers were coming,” Chris Peasley said.

The Connecticut Tigers, who play in the New York Penn League and are a single-A affiliate of the Major League Detroit Tigers, are playing a shorter season than previous teams at Dodd. Fans said that was a positive, since April and May games were often too cold to enjoy and would dissuade some fans from coming later in the season.

“It makes more sense all the way around,” said Marko Fontaine, of Norwich, who has been coming to games at Dodd since 1995.

Marketing key

Fans are interested in the new team, but marketing has be precise, said Stephanie Johnson, of Willimantic. She cited a sign at West Town Street and Connecticut Avenue Saturday that read “Game Today” but neglected to list the starting time.

“It’s a great place to see a game, but everything needs good advertising to succeed,” said Bernie Gilbow Jr., of Willimantic.

Tigers management and employees were smiling.

“Everybody’s happy tonight,” said Nicole Skinner, of Waterford, while working the Rita’s Ice Custard booth.

“We’re beyond excited to be here tonight,” Andrew Weber, the Tigers general manager, said to the crowd before the first inning. “We’re looking forward to many, many great seasons here.”

Some of the ushers were senior citizens. Russ Maine, of Norwich, was eager to do more than show people to their seats, offering a litany of baseball trivia.

“The Tigers (management) are very good guys,” said Maine, working his first season at Dodd. “They want to make it nice for the fans.”

Nice is good, but there have to be other things, Nystrom said from beneath his Tigers cap.
“Winning is definitely a good strategy,” he said.


Connecticut Tigers fans embrace their new home team - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Connecticut wins home opener, 7-1, over Vermont


Posted Jun 26, 2010 @ 09:47 PM
Norwich, Conn. — Connecticut scored four runs in the third inning and it was all the Tigers needed as they scored a 7-1 victory over Vermont before 3,120 opening night fans at Dodd Stadium. Brett Anderson had a key two-run single in the four-run third inning while Londell Taylor, Alexander Nunez and Julio Rodriguez all had doubles in a two-run fourth for the Tigers (5-4).



Connecticut wins home opener, 7-1, over Vermont - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Connecticut falls to Vermont, 7-3

By MARC ALLARD
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Jun 27, 2010 @ 04:05 PM
Norwich, Conn. — Brett Anderson hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning, but it was the lone highlight for Connecticut as the Tigers lost to Vermont, 7-3, before 1,613 fans. Vermont (7-3) scored three runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth to essentially put the game away. Seven different members of the Lake Monsters drove in runs in the game. Connecticut plays host to the Lowell Spinners on Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Dodd Stadium.

Connecticut falls to Vermont, 7-3 - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Connecticut holds off Lowell, 6-3

By MARC ALLARD
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Jun 28, 2010 @ 10:10 PM
Norwich, Conn. — Five runs in the first two innings were all the Connecticut Tigers needed as they held off Lowell, 6-3, before 927 fans at Dodd Stadium Monday night. Julio Rodriguez and James Robbins knocked in runs in the first two innings to back the pitching of Clemente Mendoza. Mendoza held the Spinners (4-7) scoreless in the first five innings before yielding a pair of home runs in the sixth inning. Connecticut (6-5) hosts Lowell again Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m.
Copyright 2010 Norwich Bulletin. Some rights reserved

Connecticut holds off Lowell, 6-3 - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Connecticut Tigers clinging to 1-0 lead over Lowell

By MARC ALLARD
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Jun 29, 2010 @ 08:13 PM
Norwich, Conn. — An RBI double by Ryan Enos in the second inning has given Connecticut a 1-0 lead over Lowell through four innings at Dodd Stadium. Connecticut starter Luis Sanz has given up just two hits; a single by Kolbrin Vitek in the first and a base hit by Bryce Brentz in the fourth.


Connecticut Tigers clinging to 1-0 lead over Lowell - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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...Tigers fall behind early, can't recover against ValleyCats

By Staff reports
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Jul 03, 2010 @ 10:42 PM
Connecticut allowed 10 runs in the first two innings in Saturday night’s game with Tri-City and lost 10-2 at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy, N.Y. The Tigers dropped two of the three games in the series.

It didn’t take the ValleyCats long to put runs on the scoreboard. Connecticut starter Clemente Mendoza walked leadoff batter Ben Orloff in the bottom of the first. Enrique Hernandez doubled off the center field wall to score Orloff. Hernandez advanced to third base after a Michael Kvasnicka single, and later scored on a Tyler Burnett double. The ValleyCats tacked on two more runs for a 4-0 lead after one inning.

In the second inning, Mendoza continued to struggle. Orloff led off the inning again. This time he was hit by a pitch. Enrique Hernandez singled and Michael Kvasnicka walked. Ben Heath singled to right field to score Orloff and Hernandez.

Two more runners crossed the plate before Connecticut could record the inning’s second out. Mendoza was pulled after allowing nine runs and three walks in just an inning and a third of work. Logan Hoch luck on the mound wasn’t too much better. Andrew Bailey smacked a two-run homer over the right field fence to put the Tigers in a 10-0 hole.

The Tigers offense got going in the fourth inning behind Josh Ashenbrenner. Ashenbrenner singled ot start the inning and advanced to third after a Julio Rodriguez base hit. Ashenbrenner scored the Tigers first run thanks to a James Robbins groundout. Rodriguez scored later after a Tri-City throwing error.

After giving up the home run to Bailey, Hoch settled in nicely by striking out five batters in three and two-thirds.

Promotions

Two Tigers pitchers received promotions following the game. Right-handed pitchers Jordan Pratt and Luis Sanz will head to West Michigan of the Midwest League. Pratt has not appeared for Connecticut, but Sanz was 3-0 with 0.56 ERA in three starts.

Tigers fall behind early, can't recover against ValleyCats - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Spot starter spot on for Tigers

On limited pitch count, Cooper dazzles in victory

By JOE PEREZ
jperez@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 04, 2010 @ 09:17 PM
NORWICH — When Connecticut Tigers manager Howie Bushong told Patrick Cooper on Friday that he would make his first career pro start, the right-hander had no idea how badly his team would need an outstanding performance from him.

With the bullpen shorthanded from 6 2/3 innings of service the night before, Cooper — who had thrown just one inning this season — was given a 60-pitch limit and needed to make every one count.

He exceeded the Tigers’ wildest expectations.

Cooper used 63 pitches to get through five innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out four in a 6-1 win over Mahoning Valley at Dodd Stadium.

“I was just happy to get the start,” Cooper said. “I just went out there with a different approach than I did in college. I was pitching more for contact. I was on a pitch count and tried to get the most innings that I could.”

The philosophical difference in college ball asks the pitcher to make batters miss rather than play for contact. Catcher Eric Roof, who played American Legion with Cooper in their home state of Kentucky, also caught his pitcher in a summer league.

Roof, who gave his friend the game ball, didn’t manage the game to the pitch count.

“Usually I don’t like to think about it because it ruins your game plan for that day,” Roof said. “But since I played with him for a year and know him as a person, I really wanted him to get five (innings) just to get that first win.”

Cooper had some difficulties locating his fastball in the first inning, and aside from a lead-off triple in the second, made few mistakes. Usually relying upon his slider as his out pitch, Cooper instead worked his fastball all over the plate, getting first-pitch strikes. He retired the last 11 batters he faced, including the first five of those on 12 pitches.

“Cooper was the name of the game (Sunday),” Bushong said. “We were expecting three, hoping for four. … That’s just an absolutely fantastic job on his part and such a big boost for us.”

A 2009 Cape Cod League All-Star as a closer, Cooper relished the opportunity to get back to starting, something he did last season at Bradley University. The 20-year-old went 4-3 with a 3.08 ERA in eight starts as a college junior.

Cooper was a two-time All-State selection in high school and was drafted by Arizona in the 34th round of the 2009 draft. He was a 14th-round pick last month by Detroit.

Patrick Lawson came in and pitched three scoreless innings and Kevan Hess closed the game in the ninth.

Connecticut (10-7) scored a run in the first on Matt Perry’s sacrifice fly. After the Scrappers (8-9) tied the game in the top of the second, the Tigers scored three unearned runs off of two errors.

Chao-Ting Tang walked and Ryan Soares’ double in the left-field corner was misplayed, allowing Tang to score. Ryan Enos (3-for-5, two runs) singled, and then with two out, Josh Ashenbrenner’s grounder was thrown away, allowing two runs to score.

Perry hit a solo home run, his second, in the fourth. Connecticut added another run in the eighth.

Tonight’s starters are Mahoning Valley right-hander Alex Kaminsky (2-1. 1.80) against Connecticut’s Rayni Guichardo (1-0, 7.50). Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Spot starter spot on for Tigers - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Unlikely defensive mistakes undo Tigers


By JOE PEREZ
jperez@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 05, 2010 @ 11:05 PM
NORWICH — Defense has been a source of pride for Connecticut through its first 18 games of the season. The numbers back it up. The Tigers entered Monday night’s affair with Mahoning Valley with the third fewest errors by an infield and were tied for third fewest unearned runs scored.

But sometimes, as manager Howie Bushong said following the 8-3 loss to the Scrappers in front 1,104 fans at Dodd Stadium, “the baseball gods go against you.”

An error, a wild pitch and a nasty hop from a ground ball in one inning contributed to the loss.

“It was the first time this year that our defense has hurt us,” Bushing said.

Starter Rayni Guichardo fell victim to a lack of location and some bad luck in the fourth inning.

Wyatt Toregas, who was the back-up catcher for Double-A Akron last season, drilled a single to left to open the frame. Two batters later, a wild pitch to Giovhanny Urshela got past catcher Julio Rodriguez, advancing Toregas.

Then with one out, Urshela reached on Brett Anderson’s error at short. Guichardo bounced back to get a strikeout for the second out. But the next batter, Carlos Moncrief, hit a chopper to first that took a vicious hop over a leaping James Robbins at first for a double that scored two runs.

“It was just one of those high choppers,” Robbins said. “I tried to take a drop step on it, get behind the ball (and) get that long hop. I don’t know what happened; it hit something, took a bad bounce.”

The damage could have been worse. After Guichardo loaded the bases on a single lined off his foot and a walk, he induced a full-count grounder to Robbins to end the inning.

Guichardo didn’t get a chance to redeem himself, leaving the game following the inning.

Tyler White replaced him and gave up a two-run homer to Chase Burnette in the fifth. Later that inning, Moncrief drove in Kevin Fontanez, who singled and stole second, with a single to left. Brian Heere also connected for a two-run single, which landed in front of P.J. Polk in center field. It was enough to send White to the showers after eight batters.

“He was in hitter’s counts,” Bushing said of White. “He was 2-1, 3-2, 1-0, seemed like on every hitter. He’s in hitter’s counts, so he’s going to get hit. That’s the only thing we want him to learn from (is) you’re going to get hit sometimes. He’s going back out there as soon as he’s ready to go; he’s got a good arm.”

Connecticut mounted a small rally in the sixth, sparked by Londell Taylor’s leadoff triple to center. P.J. Polk followed with a double to left, but Kevin Rucker overthrew the relay, allowing the speedy Polk to take third. Alexander Nunez followed with an RBI single to left, cutting the deficit to 7-2.

Mahoning Valley scored once more in the eighth and Connecticut matched that run in the ninth.

Josh Ashenbrenner led off with an infield single and scored on Julio Rodriguez’s double to the left-center gap.

All three outs recorded in the ninth by the Tigers came on strikeouts by left-handed batters against lefty pitcher Nick Kirk.

Tiger tracks

Guichardo, according to Bushong, will be fine after taking the liner off of is foot. Reliever Antonio Cruz was also banged up after taking a ball to his left elbow. He left the game in the eighth and is listed as day-to-day. … Owen Dew (1-0, 0.00) takes the mound for Mahoning Valley against Josue Carreno (1-2, 4.05) in the series finale at 7:05 p.m., tonight
Unlikely defensive mistakes undo Tigers - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Tigers win in walkoff fashion


By MARC ALLARD
mallard@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 06, 2010 @ 11:34 PM
NORWICH — Fans, however few there may be on a sultry July night, are learning that it might be a good idea to stay until the end of the game at Dodd Stadium this season.

The never-say-die Connecticut Tigers put together another late-inning rally and left with some good vibes as they took two out of three from Mahoning Valley with a 5-4, 10-inning win before 907 fans on Tuesday night.

“For some reason, we wait until late, but we always battle and find a way to get it done,” said ninth batter Ryan Soares who started the game-winning rally.

Soares singled to right field and moved to second one out later when Alexander Nunez’s pop fly to no man’s land behind second base fell in for a single. A groundout moved the runners up for catcher Julio Rodriguez, who slapped a Clayton Ehlert (0-1) delivery under the glove of shortstop Tyler Cannon for the game-winning single.

“We needed that,” Connecticut manager Howard Bushong said. “It was a home game, home series and we need to win home series, that’s what championship teams have to do. You won’t always win every game but at home, you can’t afford to lose a series.”

Connecticut trailed, 4-2, going into the bottom of the eighth inning but closed within one when Soares took the second pitch of the inning from reliever Gregorio Rosario and curled it around the left field foul pole for his first professional home run and first RBI of his career.

The Tigers (11-8) played off the momentum generated by the ninth batter and brought home the tying run. P.J. Polk singled to center and stole second base. Alexander Nunez, who came in hitting .164, got his third hit of the game when his bunt was fielded by Rosario, but the pitcher looked toward third initially where Polk was already sliding into the bag.

By the time Rosario spun and looked at first base, Nunez had also reached safely. Matt Perry drove in the tying run when his bouncer up the middle was fielded by Scrappers second baseman Dan DeGeorge, who threw over to shortstop Tyler Cannon for the force out. Nunez did a nice job of taking out Cannon and preventing the throw to first for a possible double play while Polk scored the tying run.

The Tigers could have used a strong starting performance from Josue Carreno as their bullpen has been taxed over the past couple of games, Rayni Guichardo threw only four innings on Monday and Patrick Cooper went five innings the day before. Carreno, who came in with a 1-2 record and a 4.05 earned run average, barely made it through his five innings and gave up all four Mahoning Valley runs.

Two came in the third inning on a trio of doubles. Diego Seastrunk led the two-bagger parade with a line drive to left field, after he was sacrificed to third, Brian Heere doubled to left for the first Scrappers run. Cannon brought home Heere with a double of his own to give Mahoning Valley the 2-1 lead.

Connecticut scored its first run in the second inning on James Robbins’ first triple of the season and a sacrifice fly by Eric Roof, his fifth RBI of the season.

The defense let down Carreno in the fourth after a Giovhanny Urshela single was followed by an infield error. Seastrunk brought home Urshela with a sacrifice fly and Andrew Kinney scored on a second infield error, but the Scrappers (9-10) left the bases loaded.

Connecticut scored a run of its own in the bottom of the inning on a Nunez triple and a groundout by Perry.

The Tigers enjoy one of their four off days this season today before playing back-to-back three-game series at Batavia and Williamsport. The Tigers return home on Wednesday, July 14 against the State College Spikes.

Tigers win in walkoff fashion - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Tigers Notebook: Torrealba making case for promotion from Connecticut bullpen

By MARC ALLARD
mallard@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 07, 2010 @ 07:32 PM
NORWICH — Connecticut manager Howard Bushong leaned back in his chair Tuesday, heaping praise on the Tigers’ bullpen after the team’s 10-inning, come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

“The key to this thing was (Michael) Torrealba,” Bushong said. “He absolutely shut things down and gave us a shot.”

The right-hander came on in the sixth inning with the Tigers trailing, 4-2, and allowed just one hit, a single by Giovhanny Urshela. Outside of that, he came within a groundball of striking out the side in all three innings he worked, finishing with eight strikeouts.

The only question now is, how long will Torrealba be pitching at Dodd Stadium?

“I think he’s ready to go,” Connecticut pitching coach Jorge Cordova said.

Torrealba, a Venezuela native, signed as a free agent with the Tigers on July 4, 2006 and spent his first two years in the Venezuelan Rookie League. He made the jump to Oneonta last year and ranked third on the team in appearances with 23 while sporting a 2-1 record and a 2.78 ERA. He struck out 44 batters in 35 innings.

The 20-year-old’s numbers are even better this year. His Tuesday night performance lowered his ERA to 1.23 and in 14 2/3 innings, and he already has 19 strikeouts.

“I think he’s ready to go to High-A (Lakeland, Fla.) — not Middle-A (Western Michigan), High-A,” Cordova said. “He’s throwing strikes, he’s got an average major league curve ball, which is why he got so many strikeouts (Tuesday). But we have to wait for the organization’s decision.”

Cordova added: “It will definitely be sad for the Connecticut Tigers (when Torrealba leaves), but it’s good for me and the organization because we’re developing guys. And when he leaves, that means it’s like four guys we’ve sent out already.”

Nunez coming alive

The Tigers have shown patience with second baseman Alexander Nunez despite his struggles at the plate.

Nunez was batting just .164 with only 11 hits in his first 67 trips. Still, he was in the lineup Tuesday, batting in his normal second slot — and Bushong’s continued confidence in him paid dividends.

The 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic went 4-for-5, scoring once and contributing to both the tying and winning rallies.

“I don’t have time to wait, so I feel very good,” Nunez said of his breakout performance against Mahoning Valley.

In addition to the four hits, Nunez also made a nice diving stab of a groundball headed to right field off the bat of Diego Seastrunk and threw him out. He also broke up a double play in the eighth inning with a clean slide.

“He’s working off some things and he’s putting it into practice,” Bushong said. “Really and truly, he put it into practice (Monday) night, too. He’s starting to hit the ball on the ground and battling a little bit more. He did a great job (Tuesday). The error he made in the fourth inning when we made two of them kind of hurt, but he played well. ... The slide to take the player out was outstanding.”

Day off

The Tigers play 76 games in 80 days, so days off just don’t come very often. So it was a rare treat when the Tigers didn’t have to suit up Wednesday.

“We need it,” Bushong said. “It’s coming at the right time for us.”

Some of them already had plans.

“I will stay with my wife and relax,” Nunez said with a large smile.

“I think we’re all looking forward to it, getting a little rest,” shortstop Ryan Soares said. “I’m going to sleep in for one — that’s a good start — and then probably hang out with the team somewhere.”

Despite the 90-plus degree heat that’s assaulted Eastern Connecticut over the past four days, the Tigers took advantage of their three-game homestand.

“I was afraid they were a little bit tired (entering Tuesday’s game) because we’ve worked them. Not overworked them, but worked them pretty good and they’re doing a lot of things while we have the opportunity,” Bushong said. “Our workouts are fantastic right now, but it has been tough because of the heat. Some of these kids aren’t used to it, especially since when we first got up here the weather was pretty good and now we have Florida-type heat. But coming home and getting the work in that we’ve had the past two days has been fantastic.”

Bushong said he was going to let the team “sleep in” prior to departing for Batavia late Wednesday afternoon to start a six-game road swing. After three games at Batavia, the team has three more in Williamsport before returning home to play the State College Spikes on Wednesday.

Happy guy

Soares was all smiles Tuesday night. That happens when you hit your first professional home run.

“It felt great,” the shortstop said of his eighth-inning shot that almost tickled the foul pole in left field. “I was just trying to put a good swing on it and get on base, but it carried out.”

Soares had played in only six of the Tigers’ first 19 games, registering three hits prior to his home run. He followed that up with a single in the bottom of the 10th inning and eventually scored the game-winning run for the Tigers.

Soares, batting from the ninth slot Tuesday, said he was just doing his job.

“We have such a potent top of the lineup that my job was just to get on base, and I was able to get a good pitch that I could handle and got a good swing on it,” he said.

Tigers Notebook: Torrealba making case for promotion from Connecticut bullpen - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Roof, Robbins lift Tigers in 10th at Batavia

By STAFF REPORTS
sports@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 08, 2010 @ 10:47 PM
Eric Roof hit an RBI triple and James Robbins followed with a run-scoring single to lift the Connecticut Tigers over the host Muckdogs, 4-2, in 10 innings Thursday in Batavia, N.Y.

The contest was the first of a six-game road trip for Connecticut (12-8), which jumped out to leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before the Muckdogs (9-11) rallied both times.

Brennan Smith allowed one run over five innings for the Tigers. Kevin Hess picked up the win after tossing two scoreless innings.

P.J. Polk hit a first-inning solo shot, and after Batavia’s Jon Rodriguez answered with one of his own in the second, Chao-Ting Tang put Connecticut back into the lead after he doubled and scored on Alexander Nunez’s single.

The Tigers held the lead until the sixth when a passed ball and Colin Walsh’s fielder choice helped push Jon Edwards across to tie the game.

The teams meet again at 7:05 p.m. tonight. Clemente Mendoza (1-2, 8.05 ERA) will start for Connecticut opposite Batavia’s Justin Edwards (1-2, 2.16).

Roof, Robbins lift Tigers in 10th at Batavia - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Tigers split two games

Norwich Bulletin
Posted Jul 10, 2010 @ 10:39 PM
The Connecticut Tigers put runs on the scoreboard early to take an 8-1 victory over host Batavia in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday. Batavia took the first game, 5-3.

After a six-hit first game, the Tigers responded with 11 in game two. Ryan Enos (2-3) hit a single to score P.J. Polk (hit by pitch) in the first inning. Enos scored two batters later off of a Matt Perry groundout to make it 2-0.

The Muckdogs responded in the bottom of the first with a run of their own. Mike O’Neill doubled and moved to third base on a Joey Bergman groundout. O’Neill scored on Nick Longmire’s groundout to make it a one-run game.

The Tigers scored a run in the third before the offense really clicked in the fourth inning.

Connecticut’s Chao-Ting Tang and Leslie Smith each singled to centerfield. Ryan Soares and P.J. Polk followed with singles to right field. Tang came around to score. Enos and Josh Ashenbrenner were issued walks by Batavia pitcher Kevin Siegrist. Smith and Soares scored and the Tigers led, 6-0.

In game one of the doubleheader, the Muckdogs grabbed the early lead. O’Neill was walked to start the game and advanced to third on a stolen base and a single. He scored the game’s first run off of a Nicholas Longmaire fielder’s choice.

James Robbins tied the game in the second inning when he scored on sac fly by Londell Taylor. But the Muchdogs went ahead again in the second after Audry Perez’s two-run home run.

The Tigers tied the game again in the third, but Batavia put the game away with two runs in the fifth inning. O’Neill singled home Adam Melker to make it 4-3, and O’Neill scored later on a fielders choice


Tigers split two games - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Tigers rolled in series opener at Williamsport

By STAFF REPORTS
sports@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 11, 2010 @ 10:04 PM
For the first eight innings of Sunday’s game against Williamsport, the Connecticut Tigers were trying to solve the riddle that was Crosscutters starter Eric Pettis.

While the Tigers struggled to the tune of four hits in that span, the Williamsport hitters opened a wide lead they didn’t relinquish.

Williamsport scored eight runs in the first eight innings and rolled over Connecticut, 8-2, in the opener of a three-game series at Williamsport, Pa.

Pettis picked up his fourth win of the season (4-0), striking out five and walking none.

Connecticut (13-10) scored two runs in the ninth inning off reliever Julian Sampson. Matt Perry’s RBI single and James Robbins’ RBI double accounted for their only runs.

Tigers starter Patrick Cooper (1-1) took the brunt of the damage, as Williamsport (12-11) was all over him early, scoring two runs in the first inning on a pair of RBI doubles.

The Crosscutters got some breathing room in the fifth when Miguel Alvarez hit a two-run home run to make it 5-0. Logan Hoch relieved Cooper in the sixth and didn’t fare much better, giving up three more runs.

The teams will continue their series at 7 p.m., tonight with Rayni Guichardo (1-1, 5.63 ERA) starting for Connecticut. Williamsport’s David Buchanan (0-0, 3.60) gets the start for the hosts


Tigers rolled in series opener at Williamsport - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Tigers drop 2nd game in series to Williamsport


By Staff reports
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Jul 12, 2010 @ 11:05 PM
Williamsport used a two-run seventh inning to erase a one-run Connecticut lead and beat the Tigers, 3-2, Monday in Williamsport, Pa., for the Crosscutters’ second win in the teams’ three-game series.

With Connecticut (13-11) up, 2-1, entering the seventh inning, Domingo Santana blasted his third home run of the season, a solo shot to center field that tied the score. The next batter, Jeff Lanning, fired a triple to right field and was plated on Miguel Alverez’s single in the next at-bat to take a lead they didn’t relinquish.

Connecticut reliever Michael Torrealba took the loss to drop his record to 0-2. He was also credited with his first blown save of the season. The Tigers scored a run in the top of the third on a P.J. Polk RBI single and in the top of the fourth on an Alexander Nunez RBI single.

Garrett Claypool took the win for Williamsport (13-11). Connecticut starter Rayni Guichardo pitched 5 2/3 innings in the no decision, surrendering eight hits and an earned run while walking three and striking out two.

Local Roundup: Tigers drop 2nd game in series to Williamsport - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Tigers swept by Crosscutters

By Staff reports
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Jul 13, 2010 @ 11:09 PM
The Connecticut Tigers’ early lead was not enough to hold off the Williamsport Crosscutters at Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa., on Tuesday night. The Crosscutters scored a combined five runs in the third and fourth innings to win, 7-4, completing a three-game sweep.

Matt Perry and Brett Anderson each singled in the second inning for Connecticut (13-12) and advanced on an error. Matt Mansilla drove both runners home to give the Tigers a 2-0 advantage.

The Crosscutters (14-11) responded with three runs in the third. Kyrell Hudson singled and stole second base. Matt McConnell singled to bring him home then Jeff Lanning’s two-run homer put Williamsport up for good.

In the eighth inning, the Tigers loaded the bases after Alexander Nunez singled and Julio Rodriguez and Chao-Ting Tang walked, but Connecticut was only able to bring home one run.
The Tigers return home for a three-game series against the State College Spikes at 7 p.m., tonight.

Tigers swept by Crosscutters - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Tigers: State College slams Connecticut at Dodd

By MARC ALLARD
mallard@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 14, 2010 @ 11:30 PM
NORWICH — Some of the numbers State College brought into their game with Connecticut at Dodd Stadium on Wednesday night were pretty impressive.

And in this case, those numbers didn’t lie.

The Spikes made their Dodd Stadium debut in a productive fashion as they pounded out 13 hits in an 11-1 win over the Tigers before 726 fans.

Matt Curry, who batted third for State College, came in with a .375 batting average, Adalberto Santos sported a .358 mark with Kelson Brown (.333) and Miguel Mendez (.313) also over the .300 mark. That was four more starters than Connecticut had who came in hitting over the .300 mark and all of the State College players saw their average rise on Wednesday night.

Santos finished with a 2-for-5 performance, Curry was 3-for-3 with three runs scored, Brown had a hit in only two official trips to the plate and Mendez had two hits in five trips.

“They worked the counts, got the deep counts, centered the ball up and put it in play all over the field, I thought they did a great job,” Connecticut manager Howard Bushong said of State College. “Sometimes you give them credit, because they swing the bat well and have some good, athletic kids over there.”

Connecticut starter Brennan Smith came in with an 0.64 ERA after allowing just one run in his first 14 innings for the Tigers. He didn’t make it out of the third inning against State College. Smith surrendered two runs in the first inning on RBI singles by Curry and Chase Lyles, had a solid second inning, but ran into even bigger trouble in the third.

Smith picked up his third strikeout of the game to open the third before he yielded consecutive singles again to Curry and Lyles and an RBI double to Pat Irvine. Brown then drove in his 15th and 16th runs of the season with a single to right field. Miguel Mendez followed with the fifth straight hit for the Spikes, a single, that chased Smith.

It was Smith’s first loss of the season and the six earned runs that he allowed helped his ERA to soar to 3.86.

“It was one of those nights for him,” Bushong said. “We thought we had the right guy out there, but he didn’t have it.”

The normally reliable bullpen wasn’t all that much better than the starter as Tyler Clark came on in relief of Smith and allowed three runs of his own in the fourth inning. Santos sent one deep into the right field corner for a stand-up triple, Curry drew a walk and Lyles ground one to Brett Anderson at short.

What appeared to be an easy double play was anything but as Anderson dropped the ball, which allowed Curry to reach safely at second and Anderson’s throw to first sailed over the head of James Robbins, which also allowed Santos to score. Irvine knocked one home and Brown drove in his third run of the night with a sacrifice fly to give State College (14-12) an eight-run lead.

The loss was the fourth in a row for Connecticut (13-13), three of them coming after it was swept in a three-game series in Williamsport.

“The road trip was kind of tough, we had a rain out and had to travel six hours (Tuesday night from Williamsport),” Connecticut shortstop Brett Anderson said. “We hit a lot of balls hard, we’re just hitting them at people. We just have to keep working, it will come together.”

Connecticut struggled again at the plate.

The Tigers, who have scored just nine runs in their last four games, produced their lone run in the third inning. P.J. Polk and Alexander Nunez produced back-to-back infield singles, Polk advanced on a flyout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Eric Roof, who drove in his ninth run of the year.

The two hits were the last ones that the Tigers were able to bunch together as State College starter Zach Von Rosenberg (1-4) and four relievers held Connecticut to six hits, only two after the third inning.

“I don’t think there’s any question (that Connecticut is in a slump),” said Bushong as his team came in hitting just .247. “I thought we would come out of it (Wednesday night) because their guy is a strike-thrower. You have a better chance to come out of a slump against a guy like that than one who is a bit wild, but we didn’t.”

Tigers: State College slams Connecticut at Dodd - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Tigers: Batters need more patience at the plate

By MARC ALLARD
mallard@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 15, 2010 @ 11:29 PM
Patience is a virtue, especially at the plate.

It’s something the Connecticut Tigers have not displayed a lot of this season and it may be part of the reason why the Detroit Tigers’ Single-A affiliate went into Thursday night’s game under the .500 mark after losing four straight in the New York-Penn League.

“When things are going bad, things are going bad, and we’re going to have to turn things around,” Connecticut manager Howard Bushong said after his team continued to slide with an 11-1 loss to State College on Wednesday night.

Part of the reason for the downward spiral could be the team’s desire to get things done too quickly at the plate. Tigers hitters came into the game with just 74 bases on balls this season, third-least in the league and just ahead of Williamsport (62) and Brooklyn (72).

Brooklyn, however, leads the league in hitting (.282 as a team compared to Connecticut’s .247 average), and has scored 30 more runs than the Tigers.

“Swinging at bad pitches a lot of times is an individual thing,” Bushong said. “We’re going to have to work the count a little better, it’s something we’ve struggled with pretty much the whole year. That’s something we work on almost every day in both batting practice and the individual hitting work that we do — it may be something that comes with time.”

Tough night

Connecticut shortstop Brett Anderson is capable of making nice plays, a talent he has displayed at Dodd Stadium this season.

He also has had his share of bobbles.

Such was the case in the fourth inning Wednesday when Chase Lyles hit a ground ball up the middle that Anderson ranged to his left to reach.

All he had to do was step on the bag to force Matt Curry out, and then throw to first for what appeared to be a routine double play. Anderson, however, dropped the ball as he went to the bag and Curry slid in safely. That was error No. 1.

The second followed on its heels when Anderson picked up the ball and threw wildly to first, allowing a run to score.

It was the Bristol native’s ninth error in 22 games.

“I just have to listen to what the coaches have to say about positioning, go out there and get experience out there,” Anderson said.

Anderson had played shortstop in high school at Bristol Eastern, but played third base in the Gulf Coast League for the last two seasons.

“I just have to keep working. Errors happen,” added Anderson. “At shortstop, you get to some balls that you don’t get to at third.”

His manager isn’t discouraged.

“He came to us as a shortstop, everyone thought he was more comfortable at shortstop, and he’s had his good days,” Bushong said. “(The errors) are going to happen, he’s still a young kid.”

New face

The Tigers welcomed a new player to their roster on Wednesday.

Chris Sedon, who played with the team in Oneonta, N.Y., last year, returned to the Tigers after seeing limited action with the Western Michigan Whitecaps, Detroit’s Low-A affiliate.

“There’s always a reason you come back here. He’s got some work to do,” Bushong said, “but at the same time, he will get some opportunities here and some playing time. We’re going to see what he can do, I haven’t seen him since extended spring (training), so it has been a while. We will evaluate him as we go.”

Sedon saw limited action at Western Michigan. The second baseman had just 76 at-bats in 24 games and was hitting at a .250 clip with four extra-base hits. Three of those were homers.

Road trip

The Tigers are inviting fans to join them when they play Tri-City on July 24 at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y., as part of the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend ceremonies.

A fan bus will leave Dodd Stadium at 8 a.m., and will arrive in Cooperstown at 11:30 a.m. The game will take place at 1 p.m.

The cost for fans is $50 per person, $40 for those under the age of 17, and includes admission to the game and admission to the Hall of Fame as well as a bag lunch from Panera Bread and round-trip transportation. The bus will leave Cooperstown at 8 p.m. and is scheduled to return to Norwich at 11:30 p.m.

To make reservations, call the Tigers at (860) 887-7962.

Tigers: Batters need more patience at the plate - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Mendoza shines, Tigers bounce back against State College

By BRIAN GIRASOLI
sports@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 15, 2010 @ 10:44 PM
Last update Jul 15, 2010 @ 11:45 PM
NORWICH — Clemente Mendoza certainly has the stuff to be an ace pitcher. But unfortunately for him and the Connecticut Tigers, he hadn’t shown it yet.

That all changed Thursday night when the 19-year-old threw eight scoreless innings of two-hit baseball in a 5-0 win over State College in front of 1,108 at Dodd Stadium.

Mendoza (2-3) threw 105 pitches — 66 for strikes — walked two and struck out seven to lower his ERA almost two runs from 7.88 to 5.91. He helped end the Tigers’ four-game losing streak in the process.

“Biggest thing is, he was throwing strike one,” manager Howard Bushong said. “He was working ahead of the hitters and was throwing the breaking stuff for strikes. He was struggling throwing his breaking stuff for strikes and his fastball … (and) wasn’t locating in the last couple of outings. That’s unusual for him.

“Boy, he was just so sharp and so good (Thursday).”

While his inside fastball and curveball were spot-on all night, Mendoza said his changeup needs work.

“The strike zone” was elusive in previous starts, he said. “So now I’m throwing more strikes, and I’ve got to keep doing that.”

After Connecticut was bum-rushed by 11 runs the previous night, Mendoza kept State College’s hitters off balance. Both Gift Ngoepe and Chase Lyles struck out twice.

“Mendoza’s been our No. 1 guy all year,” Bushong said, “and he’s supposed to do something like that.”

His pitching gave the Tigers (14-13) ample time to score, which they did — especially with their backs against the wall.

Alexander Nunez began Connecticut’s two-out rally in the third inning with a double over the head of centerfielder Adalberto Santos. Matt Perry (3-for-4) followed with a single and Nunez just beat Santos’ throw for a 1-0 lead.

Back-to-back walks loaded the bases, and James Robbins’ single to center brought home two more runs to pad the lead, 3-0.

Robbins came through again in the fifth with a two-out double, scoring Perry for a 4-0 lead.

“I really try to focus down — especially when there’s runners in scoring position — to get a good pitch and hit it hard somewhere. It’s been a learning process for me,” said Robbins, who is in his first full year in the New York-Penn League.

The Tigers used some small ball in the eighth inning to score their final run. Ryan Soares led off with a single and stole second and third on successive pitches. Londell Tyler brought him home with a sacrifice fly to right.

“I think our guys made conscious effort to start anew and get this thing going again,” Bushong said. “They’re capable; we know that. We’re glad to put the four games behind us, there’s no question.”

Around the horn

Perry made a nice catch in the top of the fourth. The third baseman reached over the fence just past the State College dugout and caught Matt Curry’s fly ball. … Spikes (14-13) reliever Brooks Pounders put the first two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but struck out the next three. … Tonight’s 7:05 game features Connecticut RHP Patrick Cooper (1-1, 4.09) against State College RHP Quinton Miller (0-0, 5.40). Fireworks are scheduled after the game.

Mendoza shines, Tigers bounce back against State College - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Tigers: Taiwanese outfielder Tang adjusts to new home - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

Tigers: Taiwanese outfielder Tang adjusts to new home



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Tali Greener/ NorwichBulletin.com

Tali Greener/Norwich Bulletin Connecticut Tigers outfielder Chao-Ting Tang of Taiwan watches State College warm up between innings Wednesday during a game at Dodd Stadium in Norwich.







By JOE PEREZ
jperez@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 14, 2010 @ 11:40 PM
Last update Jul 15, 2010 @ 03:35 PM
NORWICH —
Put anyone, let alone a 22-year-old, into a foreign country with a language barrier and no family and it would be safe to say it would make for a difficult challenge.
Chao-Ting Tang is not here to learn about Colonial New England; nor is he planning on taking in the autumnal colors. Even with the ever-growing diversity in eastern Connecticut, Tang is not a tourist.
Here from Taiwan for his job as a professional baseball player, Tang is hoping that his time with the Connecticut Tigers will lead to bigger and better things.
Unlike most of his peers, Tang’s path to the major leagues requires a few extra hurdles. He doesn’t speak English and the transient nature of life in the minor leagues usually doesn’t allow too much time to become acclimated with any one location.
So far the adjustment to Norwich has gone smoothly.
“It’s really not that difficult because the host family is really nice and they’ve taken care of me really well,“ Tang said through his interpreter, Kenny Chang.
An undrafted free agent, Tang signed with the Detroit Tigers in April 2008. While there has been a steady influx of baseball talent from Asia over the past two decades, Tang’s signing is of particular significance. He is the first Taiwanese player signed by the Tigers.
There isn’t a great track record of Taiwanese players in professional baseball. Washington and former Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang might be the best known. Dodgers pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo became the nation’s first All-Star this week.
Fortunately, the language of baseball translates easily on the field — even if the approach isn’t the same.
“In Taiwan, players treat this more like a job, as a profession,” Tang said. “Versus here, it seems like a lot of players treat it like a hobby or an interest.”
When he signed with the Tigers, Tang was widely considered the top amateur player in Taiwan.
“I’ve seen quite a bit of improvement since Year One,” Tang said. “I feel that the experience in pro baseball has shown me different techniques. It’s an eye opener.”
The eye opening doesn’t belong to Tang alone.
Bob Tobin welcomed Tang into his home as a volunteer host family.
“It’s been fabulous, no other word could describe it better,” said Tobin of opening his home to Tang. “He’s just a remarkable young guy.
“He’s just a great guy and has a tremendous work ethic about his profession.”
Tang’s become part of the family.
He’s taken Tobin’s 13-year-old son Ryan under his wing in a big brother-little brother relationship. When the Tigers are home, Tang will play basketball with the younger Tobin and pass along baseball tips. And when they go out for Chinese food, Tang does the ordering.
There are occasions when words get in the way, but non-verbal communication bridges that gap. And just in case that doesn’t work, Tang carries a electronic translator or the Tobins can text Chang to help troubleshoot.
“He’s a very, very easy going guy,” Bob Tobin said. “We drove him up to the house, he had a big smile on his face (and) said, ‘I like.’ … It’s been a completely positive experience.”
Helping hand
For its part, the Detroit organization does what it can to help ease its players’ transition to America.
With the exception of its Triple- and Double-A affiliates, the Tigers offer English-language classes in the minor league system. Classes are held twice a week, usually Monday and Wednesday during homestands, and help the players learn the language.
Sharon Lockwood is Detroit’s coordinator of international player programs. Based out of Lakeland, Fla., Lockwood is on call to handle any crisis that may arise.
Tang presented a different challenge than most. The vast majority of players who do not speak English communicate in Spanish. Few coaches or other personnel speak Mandarin Chinese.
When he played for West Michigan last season, which is located outside of Grand Rapids, Mich., Tang struggled with the early season cold. That’s exactly the sort of thing Lockwood keeps an eye out for.
“We’ve been lucky,” she said of language or cultural issues. “Most of it is the players’ hesitancy to ask for help because either they're afraid to speak or they’re afraid they’ll get in trouble. They don’t know who to speak to, they don’t know procedures or culture. They catch on pretty quickly.”
On the field
Tang may be an outfielder, but looks up to Phillies second baseman Chase Utley as someone he would like to model himself after.
He first caught people’s attention when playing in the 2006 high school All-America game.
Over his first two minor league seasons, Tang had some mixed results. In his first year, he hit .222 with the Gulf Coast Tigers over 38 games. He began 2009 in the Gulf Coast League, hitting .207 and raising his on-base percentage by nearly 100 points in 22 games. That earned him a promotion to Single-A West Michigan, where Tang struggled against the tougher competition.
Through a 21-game sample, Tang’s batting average dropped to .197. It didn’t help matters that a large portion of his season was lost after he sustained facial fractures when he was hit by a relay throw on an attempted double play.
The 5-foot-11, 176-pound Tang began this season with High-A Lakeland of the Florida State League and saw poor results. A .209 average and slugging and on-base percentages below .300 were a bad sign. However, Tang appears to be finding his groove with Connecticut.
Playing mostly as a reserve, the left-handed hitter was hitting at a .300 clip through his first 13 games and most of his other statistics project to be at or near his career highs.
“I’m sure there are times when it’s difficult, but he’s a pretty smart kid,” Tigers manager Howard Bushong said. “I think he understands what we’re trying to get out of him. He plays as hard as anybody and usually takes advantage of it, the opportunities that he gets. He’s done a good job for us all the way around; he’s been fairly steady.”


Copyright 2010 Norwich Bulletin. Some rights reserved

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Tigers make quick work of Spikes in speedy victory

By MARC ALLARD
mallard@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 16, 2010 @ 11:08 PM
NORWICH — The Dodd Stadium staff almost had to wait for it to get dark enough to put on the post-game fireworks show Friday.

The Connecticut Tigers played the speediest game of their season thus far, taking just one hour and 39 minutes to complete a 2-1 victory over State College. Though believed by some to one of the fastest games ever played at Dodd Stadium, there were no records available to confirm it.

“That was quick,” said Connecticut outfielder Matt Mansilla. “I was looking up in the ninth (at the clock over his shoulder in left field) and saying, ‘No way! Already? It’s only 8:45.’ It was cool.”

That’s what happens when pitchers dominate games, and the two starters — Connecticut’s Patrick Cooper (2-1) and the Spikes’ Quinton Miller (0-1) — did just that.

Cooper threw only 71 pitches, and most of those came in the second inning when he threw 13 of the 28 balls he allowed in his six innings of work.

Cooper walked Gerlis Rodriguez on four pitches to lead off the inning, and after a pair of fly outs, Miguel Mendez singled and Kyle Saukko drew the second walk of the inning to load the bases.

But Cooper got out of the jam when he fanned ninth batter Audry Acevedo, one of his seven strikeouts on the night.

“I was kind of off on my mechanics, and I just had to slow down, pace myself and refocus,” Cooper said. “Once I did that, I got out of it with three good sliders, and then I kind of got in a rhythm.”

The only run the Spikes (14-14) mustered off Cooper came in the third when Matt Curry walked, stole second and scored on a double by Rodriguez, the only other hit Cooper allowed in the game.

“Coop struggled in the second inning, but he did a fantastic job,” Connecticut manager Howard Bushong said.

Behind him and reliever Michael Torrealba, the defense sparkled.

The outfield made 10 putouts, and Mansilla had six in left field, including all three putouts in the sixth inning.

“To tell you the truth, as long as I’ve been an outfielder, I’ve never caught three balls in an inning,” Mansilla said. “It was crazy how many balls came out there.”

The infield got into the act in the ninth inning when Gerlis Rodriguez singled to lead off the inning and Kelson Brown attempted to bunt him over. Connecticut catcher Julio Rodriguez sprinted out of the box and gunned down the lead runner at second. Brown advanced to second on a wild pitch before Torrealba, who picked up his second save, recorded his fourth strikeout of the night.

Miguel Mendez then sent a slow roller down to Alexander Nunez at second and the Connecticut second baseman flipped to James Robbins for the easy final out — at least, that’s what it appeared to those not on field level.

“People won’t realize that (Rodriguez’s throw and Nunez’s pickup) were really, really big plays for us,” Bushong said. “That last ball was spinning pretty bad on Nunez and he made the right call. He called (Robbins) off, got him back to first, because our pitcher was late getting over there. It was outstanding.”

About the only thing that didn’t go so well was the offense, which produced just six hits and two runs, both in the first inning. But it was enough.

Nunez had a one-out single and Josh Ashenbrenner followed with a single of his own. Nunez came home when a groundball to second was thrown into left field, which also allowed Ashenbrenner to move to third. The Connecticut third baseman then scored what proved to be the game winner on a sacrifice fly by Julio Rodriguez.

“I was proud of our kids,” Bushong said. “We needed to win the series, and we found a way to do it.”

The Tigers (15-13) are back on the road for a game at 7:05 p.m., tonight at the Hudson Valley Renegades


Tigers make quick work of Spikes in speedy victory - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin

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Single-A Baseball: Tigers crushed on the road

By STAFF REPORTS
sports@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 17, 2010 @ 11:51 PM
Connecticut Tigers starter Rayni Guichardo allowed five runs in the first two innings and the Tigers fell on the road to Hudson Valley, 10-2.

In the fourth inning, Josh Ashenbrenner was hit by a pitch and replaced with pinch runner James Robbins. Robbins advanced to third base on an error. Julio Rodriguez’s line-drive double scored Robbins.

Connecticut added on more run in the seventh. Julio Rodriguez walked and advanced on a passed ball. Eric Roof (2-4) doubled to right field to bring home Rodriguez.

The Tigers managed six hits, but were hurt by four errors in the field. They will have another shot at Hudson Valley at 5 p.m. today.


Single-A Baseball: Tigers crushed on the road - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin